Canvas
by Kinnaq
Summary: Fem!Tsuna. AU. At fifteen years of age, Sawada Tsunayoshi heads to Namimori to find her Family.


**Title:** Canvas

**Summary:** Fem!Tsuna. AU. At fifteen years of age, Sawada Tsunayoshi heads to Namimori to find her Family.

00000

Chapter One:

Sawada Tsunayoshi sat in her room, legs tucked against her chest, eyes closed as she focused on _nothing_. Considering that she had been able to hear the very sky around her hum and sing since she was eight, it was the closest she could get to utter silence; the sky was nothing if it didn't tug at anything it could get to listen. Tsunayoshi considered herself lucky that the sky quieted at night so that Tsunayoshi could get some _sleep_.

Thinking of the songs made it harder to ignore, so Tsunayoshi turned her attention to the closest thing she could look at—her mug of hot chocolate, still steaming, and the pile of sketches that she had wanted to finish earlier before remembering that today was not a very good day for productive things.

She didn't know how long she sat there, but it couldn't have been for too long because it was rare that she went thirty minutes without someone coming to check up on her. Time went by agonizingly slowly, but Tsunayoshi was used to that. She focused on each and every single _tick, tick_ of her clock to keep her mind off of anything that could depress her. It was usually easy, considering that there were many people that Tsunayoshi could spend time with, but the denizens of the Mansion usually let her be on this day.

"Tsuna-dono, what are you doing here by yourself?" Basil asked. Tsunayoshi peeked through her bangs, noting that Basil was wearing formal clothes. Basil must've just come out of a meeting with Iemitsu, which explained why Tsunayoshi hadn't seen her since lunchtime.

"Waiting for you, obviously," Tsunayoshi replied when she saw that Basil's eyes were set into something just slightly less than a glare but still scary. Basil rolled her eyes and strode across Tsunayoshi's room and sat down the sofa chair across from Tsunayoshi with a highly exaggerated flourish.

"When was the last time _anyone_ came to see you, Tsuna-dono?" Basil asked. "When was the last time Hayato-san came around, hm?" Tsunayoshi could see the flash of irritation in Basil's blue eyes.

Tsunayoshi knew exactly how long it had been since she had seen Hayato. And Hayato had no excuse, unlike Basil, who was CEDEF, and therefore unavailable a lot of the time.

Still. "Not too long," Tsunayoshi said, pointing at the still-steaming mug of hot chocolate. That wasn't much of an answer and Basil knew that. Everyone in the Mansion was aware of the time it took for Tsunayoshi's favorite hot chocolate to cool enough to be drinkable by anyone-but-Tsunayoshi's standards. It was considered a workable punishment to force others to drink the hot chocolate as soon as it was made.

Basil didn't push, and the pair sat in a comfortable silence. Tsunayoshi put her head on her knees and watched Basil, who was staring out the windows and to the gardens beyond. Basil loved working in the gardens whenever she had the time.

"Tsuna-dono, how are you doing, though?" Basil asked. Tsunayoshi blinked at the sudden question but wasn't altogether surprised. She contemplated on how to answer. Basil would call her out on any of her lies tell Xanxus anything that wasn't up to standard.

Xanxus in one of his overprotective-brother moods was something Tsunayoshi wasn't keen on experiencing.

"I'm fine," Tsunayoshi finally said, blinking in surprise when she realized that she wasn't lying at all. "Not good or bad, just fine," Tsunayoshi elaborated when Basil raised a disbelieving eyebrow.

Basil stared at Tsunayoshi for a second before nodding. "Okay. I can safely tell everyone to shut up then." Tsunayoshi smiled wryly, thinking of the Mansion's maids and servants, who while were very well meaning and a couple having practically raised her, gossiped mercilessly about anything and everything.

Tsunayoshi was about to respond until she heard the song that she had long associated with Hayato. No matter how hard she ignored the singing, or how silent it was, it was practically impossible for Tsunayoshi to never _know_ where Hayato was at all times.

"Good afternoon, Tsuna-hime," Hayato greeted when he entered Tsunayoshi's room, leaning against the bedpost. He looked like he was trying incredibly hard not to fidget. If she weren't as close to him as she was, she was certain that she wouldn't have been able to tell, but it was obvious in the way that Hayato blinked much and too quickly, or the way that his fingers were tapping erratically rather than in a staccato rhythm as he was wont to do.

Basil glanced at Hayato before setting her expression into that not-glare again. "Where have you been, Hayato-san?" Basil asked pleasantly. _'Where have you been, you useless ass, while our precious Tsunayoshi was moping around?'_ Tsunayoshi could hear despite Basil's polite tone, and quirked her lips.

Hayato smiled. "I was with the Ninth discussing several things about something or another."

Tsunayoshi blinked; Hayato was quite high up in the Mansion hierarchy that he could be called directly to Timoteo's office, but that was rare in of itself. Timoteo also did his best not to call upon Tsunayoshi or her friends at conflicting times.

"The Ninth wishes to see you now," Hayato said.

Despite her confusion as to why Timoteo would want to see her _today_ of all days she unwrapped her arms and stood up, wincing slightly when she felt needles race up her legs.

Basil _tsk_-ed. "Tsuna-dono, it is unwise to go so slowly when the Ninth summons you." Tsunayoshi glanced at her and saw that she was smiling.

Tsunayoshi blinked once, slowly, before she _realized_ that there was only one reason that Timoteo would ever ask to see her on this day. Only the best news would be worth calling her for, and the best of news for Tsunayoshi meant one thing only.

Tsunayoshi would be going _home_.

"It wouldn't do to keep the Ninth waiting," Basil said softly. "Go."

Tsunayoshi was gone.

00000

Chapter Two:

Tsunayoshi and Hayato stared up at the building that she would be spending her high school years in. It was rather impressive, size-wise, and the grounds were clean and well taken care of.

"This is going to be odd," Tsunayoshi stated.

Public school. For two people who had been tutored for the entirety of their lives, it would be an entirely new experience. At least they were taught advanced material. Tsunayoshi and Hayato would be able to coast on their knowledge as they got used to the situation.

She was glad that the only students around at this time in the morning were the ones with clubs and classroom duties. Tsunayoshi was used to being stared at; growing up where she was treated as a princess of a kingdom enforced situations like that. However, everyone in Italy had tact and the ability to pay attention to something without _looking_ like they were. Here, in this school, there would be no tact.

Tsunayoshi had training to deal with this sort of thing. Even if she hadn't been chosen to become the Tenth, she would have been a _fallback_ and any Don needed to know how to take care of themselves.

When they entered the building, she took a moment to take in the cleanliness of the place. She could tell that the building was older, but it was well taken care of and well maintained. It was also clean and the tiled floors shined.

"Would you two be the transfers?" a woman called from behind the front desk. Tsunayoshi noted short hair and sharp eyes.

"Ah, yes!" Tsunayoshi said, bowing briefly. "Would you happen to be Watanabe-san? We were told that you would handle our paperwork." She remained polite, cheerful, and most importantly, _charming_. Gaining allies was one of her first priorities.

"Watanabe Yuki, yes," she affirmed. "And you two are Gokudera Hayato and Sawada Tsunayoshi, transferring from Italy." She stood up and beckoned for them to get closer. "Please wait for a second." With that, Watanabe stood and disappeared into the back.

"She's good," Tsunayoshi said. Hayato nodded in agreement. While the school definitely had some warning, it took most everyone they'd come across since arriving in Japan some effort not to show any reaction to her name. After all, naming a girl after a shogun just wasn't _done_. At least not so literally.

Tsunayoshi counted herself fortunate that she was raised in Italy where, while fluent in the language, no one paid to Japanese naming conventions.

Watanabe returned shortly with two thin manila folders, with a clip on each. "Here you go," Watanabe said, handing them their individual folders. "On the top are your schedules—you two have the same schedules for the most part. The most important papers are the ones with the clips. The one with the thick black line on the top has to be filled out today by your teachers. The remainder aren't quite as important, but you should definitely hand them in by the end of the week." Watanabe explained.

It was all concise, simple, and in a tone that was stern yet warm enough so that it wasn't alienating. It was entirely professional. Watanabe was _good_, and Tsunayoshi wondered why she was a receptionist at a high school if she had the skills to work for the big companies. Watanabe looked like she would be right at home with the secretaries that the Ninth hired for help.

Tsunayoshi bowed and smiled. "Thank you, Watanabe-san!" she chirped.

"You're welcome," Watanabe said. "Your class is 1-C. Around the corner there are stairs, and it's the third door on the right."

Tsunayoshi nodded and shifted her bag more comfortably and led the way to the stairs. Tsunayoshi opened the door and immediately felt _Sun_ and _Cloud_ in such a way that Tsunayoshi was surprised that she had missed them before she had even opened the door.

The _Sun_ girl was _bright_, with light brown hair and eyes and rather curvy, if petite. The _Cloud_ girl was a stark contrast, with dark hair and eyes, tall and thin. The pair immediately turned their attention to Tsunayoshi and Hayato, looking them over.

"Interesting," Hayato murmured in Italian, voice pitched so that only Tsunayoshi would be able to pick it up. Tsunayoshi agreed. The two girls moved deliberately. It seemed that Tsunayoshi and Hayato weren't the only ones with secrets and odd personalities.

Tsunayoshi smiled shyly—a ploy, of course—at the two girls, noting that they stared at her like they were children presented with a shiny bauble, and not because they were new.

It was _Sun_ that moved forward, smiling cheerfully. "Hello! You must be the new students that Terada-sensei had told us about!" she greeted. "I am Sasagawa Kyoko. It is a pleasure to meet you. This is my best friend Kurokawa Hana."

Hana _tsk_-ed. "I can introduce myself, Kyoko," Hana said. She turned to them and smiled amusedly. "It is nice to meet you, I suppose."

"It's nice to meet you, Kyoko-san, Hana-san," Tsunayoshi returned. "I am Sawada Tsunayoshi and this is Gokudera Hayato. I hope you treat us well." Tsunayoshi glanced pointedly at Hayato, who sighed and nodded at the two girls. Normally Tsunayoshi would leave Hayato to do what he wished but they had their own games to play.

Besides, it would be quite fun to see which pair would uncover the others' secrets first.

Hana tilted her head "Tsunayoshi, huh? Interesting name," she commented blandly.

_Interesting_ had so many different meanings in so many different situations that Tsunayoshi couldn't possibly hope to name them all. There was that look in Hana's eyes that reminded Tsunayoshi all too well of Reborn.

Tsunayoshi smiled wryly. "Thank you, Hana-san. I think that we'll get along well." Hana raised an eyebrow and Kyoko blinked slowly, _innocently_, and Tsunayoshi knew that she had been heard. Games were no fun if only one side was aware they were playing.

"It seems Japan is filled with interesting people," Hayato commented softly, looking out the window and into the courtyard. Students were starting to arrive in large groups.

Hana quirked her lips. "Not Japan," Hana disagreed, "Namimori." Hana's lips settled into something much more like a smile. "It seems that Namimori attracts all sorts of interesting people, actually."

Kyoko nodded, smiling still. "Yes! I'll have to point them out to you if you don't notice them first, Tsunayoshi-kun," Kyoko said.

Tsunayoshi smiled. "I look forward to it."

00000

Chapter Three:

Tsunayoshi tackled her mother into a hug, leaving Hayato and their guest in the entrance. It would be a while before she got used to Nana's presence after being apart for ten years. She wanted to hug Nana so much that she got sick of it.

Nana laughed and pressed a kiss to Tsunayoshi's brow. "How was your day, Tsu-kun?" she asked.

"Hayato and I made some interesting new friends. I think we'll invite them over later, after we get to know them a little better," Tsunayoshi said.

Interesting was a word to describe them.

Sasagawa Kyoko hid an incredibly astute mind behind her rather popular idol demeanor. Kurokawa Hana collected information greedily and had her own personal network that expanded past Namimori. Yamamoto Takeshi hid a highly calculative mind and terrible sense of humor behind his cheerfulness. Sasagawa Ryohei, Kyoko's older brother, had such powerful Sun Flames that it was impossible to ignore him and behind his rather loud personality was just as astute as his little sister. It wasn't an understatement when Hana had said that only Namimori attracted the interesting.

Nana smiled. "Of course! I will always want to meet Tsu-kun's friends!" Tsunayoshi beamed at her mother and let her go, allowing Nana to turn back to her cooking.

"Oh, yeah, Mama, I came across someone who was having some troubles and decided to help him. I invited him over for dinner. Is that okay, Mama?" Nana wouldn't have said _no_, but it would've been rude just to bring someone over. Besides, it wasn't as if Nana didn't notice Shoichi standing in the entrance with Hayato.

Nana nodded absentmindedly. "Of course. You can take him up to your room. I'll bring up a snack in a little bit, okay?"

"Thank you, Mama!" Tsunayoshi said. She picked up her bag and grabbed Shoichi's wrist, careful not to agitate his bruise. "Come on now, quickly, we want to get you all patched up."

Tsunayoshi pulled Shoichi to her room and took out the first-aid kit that Tsunayoshi had taken to having fully stocked and prepared for use since she was six and had noticed that Xanxus and his group had the odd penchant for getting injured at all times of the day.

Shoichi was silent the entire time Tsunayoshi and Hayato treated his wounds—he reacted rather amusingly when Tsunayoshi ordered him to strip to his boxers, face flushing an interesting shade of red that clashed with his coppery-brown hair, and his eyes widening so much that he started resembling a doe—and if Tsunayoshi wasn't used to all sorts of injuries she would've winced at the myriad of bruises that covered Shoichi's chest and back and shoulders.

Eventually all of his wounds disappeared under white gauze and bandages. Tsunayoshi thought that Shoichi was quite lucky that he had the odd combination of Sun and Mist Flames, as their combined properties held him together and kept him from breaking anything.

"So!" Tsunayoshi said when she put the first-aid kit away. "We haven't actually introduced ourselves properly, have we?" They came across him just recently beat up in an alleyway, and if it weren't for her seeing his name on a school ID she wouldn't have known his name in the first place.

"I am Sawada Tsunayoshi and this is Gokudera Hayato! It's nice to meet you, even though it would have been even better to meet you under different circumstances." Tsunayoshi beamed at him, smiling disarmingly.

Shoichi stared at her with suspicious eyes. "…Irie Shoichi." Shoichi finally said. He paused as if to ask something before discarding the idea. Tsunayoshi continued to beam at him until he rolled his eyes. "Why are you here?" he finally asked.

Tsunayoshi smiled. "Is that a question asking me why we dragged you along when you obviously could take care of yourself, or is that a question on why the two of us with all the trouble we bring are in Namimori?" Tsunayoshi asked.

Shoichi stared at her blankly, and it was obvious to her that he was refraining from rolling his eyes at her statement. Most likely multiple times. "The second one," Shoichi said. He frowned. "It's not often that Vongola lets its future leaders travel away without several different guards, is it?" Shoichi asked.

"So you do know," Tsunayoshi commented quietly. She had a feeling, considering the way he reacted to their presence. She looked at Hayato. "I'm looking for my Guardians, of course," She smiled and rested her chin on her hand. "I'm thinking that you know what that means, don't you?" she asked.

Shoichi nodded warily. "Why'd you bring _me_ here, then? I know for certain that I would never qualify for that position."

Tsunayoshi blinked innocently at him. "You're interesting, of course."

Shoichi sighed. "I'm _interesting_. Of course." He looked at Tsunayoshi, eyes blank behind his thick-rimmed glasses. "What do you want of me, then?" he asked. _What am I in your little twisted world, Sawada Tsunayoshi? What do you want me to do?_ Tsunayoshi could read in his face.

Tsunayoshi smiled softly at Shoichi. That was a mindset that she could agree with. "You're a mechanic aren't you?" she asked. "I've no need for a mechanic, but it would be nice to have you around. It would be easier to handle transitioning into my true position with people around my age, considering the general age discrepancy."

Shoichi blinked slowly as he deliberated. It seemed that Tsunayoshi had managed to pick up another interesting person, and wondered what Hana's network would be able to tell her about this person that the Vongola's network didn't know existed.

Not that'd she'd ask yet. Tsunayoshi wanted to see how long it'd take for either Kyoko or Hana to find out her connection to the Vongola.

Shoichi eventually smiled tentatively at Tsunayoshi. "I can deal with that."

00000

Chapter Four:

Tsunayoshi stared at the clock, waiting impatiently for class to end. She kept her peripheral vision on the figure standing on the roof outside. That person could move at any second and she wouldn't have the time to reach them. She'd have to resort to scouring the school for a person she wouldn't recognize.

Hayato would provide a distraction if she needed to jump out the window, but she was confident enough in her speed that she'd reach the roof before the person had the chance to get down. But that was only if that person didn't leave before class ended.

"You shouldn't go on the roof," Hana said. Hana glanced out the window before returning her stare to Tsunayoshi. "I know you'll ignore me, but _listen_. The roof is the Disciplinary Committee's domain and that's likely the Head Prefect. You can hold yourself in a fight, but Hibari is on an entirely different level."

"Warning duly noted," Tsunayoshi said, ignoring Hana's put-upon sigh. The bell rang and she quickly packed her bag and put it on Hayato's desk. "I'll see you later!" she called.

It didn't take that long to reach the roof. At this distance and height, Tsunayoshi could tell that the figure was definitely a woman, although she was wearing the boy's uniform. This was definitely Hibari Kyouko, the Head Prefect of the Disciplinary Committee.

"You should not be up here, Sawada Tsunayoshi," Hibari said. Her voice was really, really pretty—a low alto and smooth and Tsunayoshi had a distant want to hear her sing—and as Hibari walked closer Tsunayoshi could hear the sky sing _Cloud_ in crescendo.

Hibari Kyouko was quite beautiful, Tsunayoshi thought, when Hibari was close enough to see her face clearly. She was tall, lithe, and sharp lines. Gray-blue eyes were cold behind a black fringe with dangerous intent directed at Tsunayoshi. Compared to the _dark_ that Hibari Kyouko was, the scarlet red armband stood out.

In the weeks that Tsunayoshi had been in Namimori, she had heard of Hibari. She was the sole reason the school was so well-taken care of. She ruled the school and no one dared to go against her. Her ability to fight and penchant for using that skill against anyone who was caught in her way was infamous.

"I wanted to meet you, Hibari-san," Tsunayoshi said. She felt déjà vu when she looked at Hibari, Tsunayoshi wanted to know how or when she met the prefect. It was definitely before she moved to Italy.

_Oh_. Tsunayoshi recalled that day. She was four and had gotten lost. Hibari—warmer, then, with childish curves that hid her future, sharper, features—had found her and led her home. Even then it seemed that Hibari knew the place of everything and everyone in Namimori.

"You've met me, Sawada Tsunayoshi, now _go_." Hibari said, staring at her. Despite the rather obvious addition of _'before I make you'_ Tsunayoshi met Hibari's stare unflinchingly. She made herself appear nonthreatening, making it clear that she _wanted_ to do so. Hibari's eyes narrowed, accurately guessing the meaning.

"But we've met before, though, haven't we?" Tsunayoshi continued, tilting her head to the side cutely. Hibari knew it would be unwise to enter a fight against an opponent who knew the mind games between predators just as well as the physical fight, but that didn't mean that Hibari wouldn't attempt to strike.

"Yes," Hibari affirmed, "Once, in preschool. Now _go_."

Tsunayoshi bowed. "Yes, thank you for that time, Hibari," Tsunayoshi said before leaving. Quickly, but with intent rather than anything else—especially not _fear_. Tsunayoshi had lessons on how to deal with Hibari's kind as well.

Tsunayoshi followed Hayato's presence to a classroom on the third floor—Ryohei's homeroom, she recalled. The others turned to her, waiting for an explanation. Hana had told the others what she was doing.

"How'd your conversation go, Tsuna?" Hana asked. She appeared entirely unconcerned with the matter. It's not like she could begrudge them that—only because Tsunayoshi was sure of her skill that she been confident in speaking blandly with Hibari.

"It went well," Tsunayoshi said. "I remember her from before I moved to Italy, actually, when I was in preschool. She helped me home." Tsunayoshi beamed. "I owe her a debt ten years in the making, so I'm not going to needlessly bother her."

_Yet_ was unspoken.

00000

Chapter Five:

Tsunayoshi was no stranger to hard work. Cleaning, however, was an entirely new experience. She had never climbed chairs to dust, or gotten on her hands and knees to scrub the floor to make sure it shined.

She had made several sacrifices throughout the years to tend to Reborn's rather sadistic needs, and doing her best to make sure that he didn't find a fault in his welcoming to Namimori wasn't much of a sacrifice. She was confident that she would survive if he found fault in his welcoming—as he very well _would_, the sadistic baby that he was—she just wasn't entirely sure what he would force her to do.

Tsunayoshi wiped her forehead as she looked over her handiwork, feeling a new sense of appreciation for the maids who managed to keep the Mansion clean and working while still keeping themselves hidden for the most part.

"Are we done?" she asked Hayato, who was in charge of all of the heavy lifting. She could have handled it all herself, but Hayato insisted on helping.

Hayato nodded. "Mama!" Tsunayoshi called into the kitchen where Nana was preparing dinner for Reborn and the extra guest that he had called ahead to say he was bringing. "We're done in here! Is there anything else?"

"Nope! We're all done!" Nana replied. "Thank you for all of your hard work. This is the quickest the house has ever gotten clean!"

"So, how long do we have until Reborn shows up?" Tsunayoshi asked, stretching.

"Ten minutes or so," Hayato replied.

Tsunayoshi nodded and looked down at herself. "Okay, it's Reborn, so take as quick of a shower as you can and wear the nicest casual clothing that you can." Tsunayoshi said. Hayato nodded and disappeared into the bottom floor bathroom. Aware that he wouldn't be able to take a shower while she was, Tsunayoshi hurried upstairs and quickly grabbed a towel and a change of clothes and disappeared into the top floor bath.

Not ten minutes later, Tsunayoshi and Hayato made their way to the kitchen where Nana was setting the table. Their hair was still damp, but it would quickly dry in the heat.

"Oh, that was very quick, Tsu-kun, Hayato-kun!" Nana exclaimed.

The doorbell rang, and Tsunayoshi took a breath to gather her wits. She could _feel_ Reborn on the other side of the door, which told her he was relatively happy; Reborn was powerful enough that he could hide himself from her if he so wished.

She opened the door and found herself tackled by a very short figure. She immediately catalogued the person as _safe_ and as a child, so she quickly pulled the person into a hold. And then realized who this child was and kneeled on the ground, wrapping Lambo in a much more proper hug.

"Tsuna-nii! It's really good to see you. Lambo missed you!" Lambo said, looking at Tsunayoshi through wavy bangs. It seemed that the Bovino child had gotten a haircut since the last time she had seen him. "Where's Hayato-nee?"

Tsunayoshi glanced at Reborn, acknowledging his presence before turning to Lambo and picking him up. "He's right here, of course. We're never that far apart, you know. Or have you forgotten?"

"Oh!" Nana exclaimed, eyes wide as she looked at Lambo. "Who is this, Tsu-kun?" she asked, rushing forward to get a better look at Lambo. Lambo's arms tightened around Tsunayoshi's neck as he looked at Nana. Lambo glanced between Tsunayoshi and Nana.

"Is this your Mama, Tsuna-nii?" Lambo asked quietly in Italian. Tsunayoshi had told Lambo everything that she had remembered about Nana during that brief stint when neither she nor Hayato had allowed Lambo out of their sight.

"Yes," Tsunayoshi said and smiled at Lambo encouragingly before turning to Nana and saying, "Mama, this is Bovino Lambo. I took care of him for a while last year. I didn't know he would be coming to Namimori, but I hope you wouldn't mind giving him a room here."

Lambo looked at Nana shyly. "Hello, Mama, my name is Lambo," he greeted softly. Nana blinked, smiled and held out her arms to Lambo. Lambo glanced at Tsunayoshi nervously before taking a breath and letting go of her neck to reach for Nana's outstretched arms.

"It's very nice to meet you, Lambo-chan," Nana greeted. She blinked in surprise when she looked down at Reborn who walked into the kitchen to study the room, eyes shadowed by his fedora. "Oh, hello! You must be Reborn-chan. It's very nice to meet you!" Nana greeted.

Reborn smiled up at Nana. "Hello, Mama. Dinner smells delicious. Is it all for us?" he asked cutely, sending Tsunayoshi into a mental conniption at the scene. Everyone _knew_ who Reborn was and what he was capable of so they were always wary of him _no matter what_. Reborn knew it was useless to act like a baby.

"Yes! Why don't we all get seated?" Nana suggested. "Oh, but we don't have any high chairs—hold on, I'll be right back." Nana put Lambo back in Tsunayoshi's arm and left them.

Reborn watched Nana go before turning to Tsunayoshi. "This is an adequate welcoming, Tsuna. But I noticed that you haven't been training properly since you've arrived. I'll take great pleasures in fixing your mistake."

"It's nice to see you again, too, Reborn," Tsunayoshi sighed. Really, it wasn't like she wasn't expecting anything else.

00000

Chapter Six:

"Are you sure?" Tsunayoshi asked Kyoko. "You don't have to go through all of this trouble just because it happens to be my birthday."

Kyoko stood up and turned to stare at her with an expression that told Tsunayoshi that she was being _dumb_. "It's your _birthday_, Tsunayoshi-kun. If the anniversary of your entering this world isn't a reason to celebrate, then I don't know what is," Kyoko explained. "Besides, it's always nice to justify my reason for eating large amounts of cake."

Tsunayoshi raised an eyebrow, wondering how much cake Kyoko could eat. It had to be a lot, since the girl had an almost infallible sweet tooth and ate copious amounts of sweets.

"So, it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I'm your friend and you want to spend some time with me?" Tsunayoshi asked.

She pouted. "I knew that you were using me all along, Kyoko-san."

Kyoko snorted and placed her hands on her hips. "You see right through me, Tsunayoshi-kun! I've only been using you to satisfy my cake urges." Kyoko grinned. "You should be delighted that I don't give you the bill."

Their camaraderie was odd considering how polite and distantly kind they were to each other when they first met. They had come to this small arrangement of not _acting_ around each other. For Tsunayoshi, it was nice having someone to act like a teenager with.

Tsunayoshi was about to respond until she felt that distinct _hum_ in the air that she had come to associate with _Lightning_ and the door to the bakery opened.

The girl was taller than either of them with dark brown hair and eyes and distinct curves under her uniform. "Ha-hi! Grandmother, are Haru's cakes ready?" she called to the store in large, all bubbly, oblivious cheeriness that easily covered up the way she looked over Tsunayoshi and Kyoko, studying them clinically.

Tsunayoshi shared a glance with Kyoko. Haru was interesting, and Tsunayoshi had a distant thought that she was, in fact, destined to meet every single 'interesting' person in Namimori. Tsunayoshi didn't mind at all, because then she'd have to go looking for them just to alleviate any potential boredom.

"Hello! I haven't seen you before around!" Haru greeted, bowing. "I am Miura Haru!"

"Hello. I am Sasagawa Kyoko and this is Sawada Tsunayoshi-kun. It's nice to meet you, Haru-chan," Kyoko glanced at Tsunayoshi slyly. "What are you here for, Haru-chan? We're here looking for Tsunayoshi-kun's _birthday_ cake."

Tsunayoshi glared at Kyoko.

"Birthday? Ha-hi!" Haru exclaimed. "Hold on, please! I know just what to do!"

Haru jumped behind the counter. "Grandmother, we've got a birthday girl here!" Tsunayoshi heard her say before she disappeared behind the counter. The teen behind the counter didn't even look up when Haru jumped over the counter, so she figured that it was a regular occurrence.

Tsunayoshi couldn't help but laugh.

00000

Chapter Seven:

Tsunayoshi fidgeted.

"It'll be all right, Tsuna-hime," Hayato murmured. "They'll understand your intentions quite well."

Tsunayoshi sighed and ran a hand through her hair. It was about time that she got a haircut. "I'll be lying if I said I'm not worried about their reactions, but it's not just that. Reborn tends to spy on us at random times. There are a lot of people around so I don't want to check." In such a populated place, _that_ would definitely lead to a migraine.

Reborn had followed her around and looked at everyone that Tsunayoshi associated with. After dinner he discussed who he thought would be good Guardian candidates. Unsurprisingly, their lists weren't that much different, although Tsunayoshi had found a couple of candidates where Reborn only saw one. That was several days ago, and Reborn had just instructed her to tell Ryohei and Takeshi that they were her Sun and Rain Guardians respectively.

Reborn had even somehow gotten a day pass from Hibari so that Tsunayoshi didn't have any excuse to bow out. Tsunayoshi did not want to know what he promised Hibari to acquire that, but she had a feeling she would learn soon enough.

"Tsuna?" Takeshi called when he reached the roof. Ryohei was loudly proclaiming that the view from the roof was extreme, although he kept an eye on Tsunayoshi. She smiled in greeting and motioned for Takeshi and Ryohei to sit down.

There was an awkward silence as Tsunayoshi scrambled her mind on how, exactly, she should start explaining everything to them. It was a delicate subject to talk about. She was certain that she couldn't just say it so cavalierly when she was practically bringing them into the service of the Vongola for what would be the remainder of their lives.

"It'll work out," Hayato assured in Italian. Tsunayoshi nodded and took a breath.

"What do you know about the mafia?" she started.

With that, she told them everything that Reborn had told her to discuss. She told them about the Vongola, about her role, about the Guardians, and _their_ roles, and that they would be her Sun and Rain Guardians. That prompted her to tell them about the Flames and their individual characteristics.

While she was explaining, Hayato carefully looked around, eyes shining green, looking for any unwanted presences. "Reborn isn't around, and neither are his bugs," Hayato said.

Tsunayoshi nodded and _looked_ at Takeshi and Ryohei. "This is _secret_ from everyone but those I tell you are in the know. _Promise me_ that you won't tell anyone without my permission." Takeshi and Ryohei shared a glance. They really were a lot smarter than they led everyone to believe.

"Do you promise?" Tsunayoshi pressed. There was no telling when Reborn would arrive. Takeshi and Ryohei nodded.

Tsunayoshi told them about her plans for the Vongola, for the mafia, and for the underground as a whole. She told them about the Tri-ni-Sette and of Byakuran and Uni, the two other people she had explicitly told of her plans and who promised to back her up when she inherited the Vongola. She told them that she was planning to return the Vongola to the Vongola she had read about during the First's time.

When she was done Tsunayoshi made herself to relax. She had told them what she _wanted_ to tell them. Takeshi and Ryohei watched her blankly, obviously thinking over everything that had just been dumped on them. She hoped that they would forgive her for bringing them into the mafia just to use them.

"Reborn has arrived," Hayato murmured.

Tsunayoshi bit her lip and noted with relief that Takeshi and Ryohei shifted subtly, a sign that they remembered their promise.

It was Ryohei who broke the silence. "So we're in the mafia now? And extremely important, too?" he asked. Tsunayoshi nodded and Ryohei clenched and opened his fist, staring at his bandaged hand contemplatively. Ryohei nodded and looked up at Tsunayoshi, smiling. "Okay, then," Ryohei said.

Takeshi glanced upwards briefly and Tsunayoshi was surprised to see that that was the direction Reborn was in. "I don't like the idea of the Vongola," he finally said, frowning. "It's like the stakes of the game were placed far higher than they should have been." Takeshi paused for a moment before he looked at Tsunayoshi and smiled. "But I definitely believe in Tsuna who plays fairly. So, okay. Okay. I'm good with this." Takeshi said.

Tsunayoshi beamed, relieved. "Just a little warning, though. I'll have to introduce you to Reborn, my tutor. He's a good person. He's just more violent than Hibari and more sadistic than Hana-san in a foul mood, even if it's usually directed at me."

00000

Chapter Eight:

Silence greeted her when she entered her house. "Mama! Are you home?" Tsunayoshi called, hoping that Nana was upstairs, even though she knew that she wasn't. There wasn't a note on the table stating that her mother was out and would be back, which would have set of warning bells even if the silence didn't.

Tsunayoshi opened up her senses and stalked through the house. She paused in the living room, feeling the world around her sing _Mist_—unsurprising, but the way it sang comfortingly as if being sung like a long lost friend rather than a stranger threw her off.

She narrowed her eyes, looking slowly throughout the room until she spotted the discrepancy. It was a very, very talented Mist user, but she wasn't a Sky User for nothing. She could see the shimmer around the corner, but refrained from walking any closer. In a fight she would definitely win, but Mist users were especially dangerous when backed into a corner.

"Who are you?" she asked lowly.

/You've gotten much stronger, Sawada Tsunayoshi./

Tsunayoshi blinked in surprise. She heard it not in her ears but within her mind—not as a thought but as a 'voice' in the same manner that the sky sung. She was unaware that Mist users could manipulate that. After all, it was because the world sung whenever Flames were actively used that she was able to dissolve illusions so easily.

/…Strong enough to throw you out if you refuse to leave, intruder!/

It was hard to sing through the sky, but Tsunayoshi had delved into the song long enough when she first gained the ability that she could do it, even if the only people she was able to communicate with were Hayato and those with Sky Flames.

/Intruder I am, yes, but I mean no harm. Not to you, whom I'd inadvertently tied myself to all those years ago./

There was a hint of amusement carried through the hum and Tsunayoshi stared at where she knew the person was standing, all too confused. Still, she refused to be tarried and prepared to _break_ the illusion forcibly.

/I suggest that you show yourself, then, before I force your hand. I do not look kindly upon those who place themselves in my _home_ where they could harm my family./

/Still so insistent upon guarding what is yours, no matter that you hadn't realized what you were doing./

Still amusement, but the illusion started to fade, slowly. Tsunayoshi let the energy she had gathered disperse into the air. And then promptly stared.

"I hope that you can forgive Mukuro-sama for his amusements, Boss," the dark-haired girl said, smiling shyly. "I am Chrome Dokuro. Mukuro-sama said that we were to be your… Mist Guardian."

Tsunayoshi stared some more. The name Chrome Dokuro was an anagram of Rokudo Mukuro, making it obviously false, but she saw the way Chrome said the name, and decided not to push. No matter how much she disliked lies.

"Of course I'd get two," Tsunayoshi said finally, smiling wryly. "It's nice to meet you, Chrome."

00000

Chapter Nine:

When she was around nine or so, and Reborn had just been her tutor for only a couple of months, Tsunayoshi learned that she was pretty much destined to become the Tenth Vongola Boss. Her father was descended from the First and was currently the president of CEDEF, an organization that was created by the First Cloud Guardian in an attempt to distance himself from the main family as much as possible.

Then there was the fact that save for her darker hair and eyes and being a girl and being from a different country altogether, she was the mirror image of her great-great-great grandfather and had been likened to him in personality many times over the years.

Added upon _that_ the fact that her Guardians were also either distantly related—like Takeshi and Hibari and the Sasagawa siblings—or looked like the Guardians and had similar abilities—like Hayato and Chrome and Mukuro—she had been hearing the whispers that the Tenth Generation was the second coming of the First.

It seemed that Lambo was intent on following that rule, as the little Bovino was quite similar to Lampo in terms of looks and abilities, though Tsunayoshi tried hard to ignore that fact and to make sure that he didn't become her Guardian.

"You don't get it, Tsuna-nii!" Lambo said, stomping his foot and narrowing his eyes into a defiant glare. Tsunayoshi felt the electricity naturally stored in his body stirring underneath the surface of his skin and gave him points for not letting loose in her room.

Hayato sighed from behind her. Tsunayoshi glared at him. He had long since given in and had told her that even if Haru would take his place until he was to take the role at full capacity, Lambo would always be _the_ Lightning Guardian, unlike Kyoko and Ryohei who had the odd sibling connection to be interchangeable as the situation called for, or Chrome and Mukuro who were _both_ the Mist Guardian.

It wasn't that Tsunayoshi didn't want Lambo as her Guardian, or that she didn't want him to be involved in the underground. He was _born_ in it and was more aware of things than she was. It was the fact that he was _six_ and he had been used enough already.

Tsunayoshi knelt down, looked Lambo in the eye and told him as much.

Lambo paused before wrapping his arms around Tsunayoshi's neck, sniffing lightly as he tried to stop himself from crying. "It's okay, Tsuna-nii! Lambo has been training and getting stronger with his powers. And I'll get stronger in the future, too. You don't have to worry about me. I just want to be with Tsuna-nii and keep Tsuna-nii safe, like Hayato-nee does. I want to be the one to protect Tsuna-nii this time."

She felt tears pricking at her eyes. It was rare that Lambo referred to the situation that led to their meeting. Tsunayoshi put her arms around Lambo and pulled him into her lap, burying her face in his wavy hair. "Okay, then," she whispered. "Okay. Lambo will be my Lightning Guardian forever."

00000

Chapter Ten:

Tsunayoshi studied the crowd. Her Guardians stood in a line in the front—Hayato, her Storm, Ryohei, the brighter Sun even as Kyoko worked behind the scenes, Lambo, her Lightning, Takeshi, her Rain, Chrome, with Mukuro watching behind her eyes, her Mist, and Hibari, her Cloud.

Behind her Guardians were the people she had chosen as her _family_, her chosen ones, the ones who had chosen to follow her and agreed with her beliefs regarding the Vongola.

Timoteo, the man she looked up to since childhood and regarded as a grandfather, stood next to her while his Guardians lined up next to hers. Just a little past her family stood Xanxus with the Varia. Reborn stood off the side with Aria and Gamma, while Uni was in Byakuran's arms, looking out of place but important to her all the same. Dino was in the back with Romario and a small group of his men.

Everyone standing in front of her was important to her. There were those that she had been raised by, and those she had looked up to. Those she had chosen as her own. They didn't need to be there—nothing had stopped her from meeting each of her Guardians individually with their respective Rings save for her own feelings. She wanted this moment to be seen, even if it seemed pretentious of her. She wanted this so that no one could deny that it _happened_.

This was only the Handing of the Rings, of course. There would be a much larger crowd of allied families in attendance at the Inheritance Ceremony. There would be assassination attempts. There would be politics and shady dealings and everything that she wanted to _not be there_. It would be a representation of the very thing she was looking to destroy.

But that was all in the future. Now, she had something to _do_. It would all work out.

Tsunayoshi took a breath.

"I welcome you all here," she started.

_**End**_

00000

**AN:**

This story is, of course, an attempt at a rewrite of an old story (Alteration, which I still have the outline to). Like starting a multi-chaptered story—which I have no idea what happened to—I also have no idea what happened to the characters.

Tsunayoshi, Basil, and Hibari are females (her first name sounds the same as Kyoko's but the kanji is different, and is spelled differently to compensate when it comes up). Shoichi has been in contact with the mafia before and hates it, so he's kept in touch with some people as not to be caught off guard. Tsunayoshi loves challenges, Gokudera is quiet and prefers to be in the background, Basil is sardonic and sarcastic even if she speaks as canon Basil does. Sasagawa means _astute_ and manipulative—I imagined that while both siblings have dominant Sun Flames, they both have strong Mist Flames as well—which is just a little thought that developed into my head canon.


End file.
